Electronic device



D 1951 G. c. SZIKLAI 2,577,164

ELECTRONIC DEVICE Original Filed March 20, 1945 I NVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 rem" caries ELECTRONIC DEVICE George 0. Sziklai, Princeton, 1., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Original application March 20, 1945, Serial No. 583,801. Divided and this application January 18, 1946, Serial No. 642,047

This application is a division of applicant's copendin application Serial No. 583,801, filed March 20, 1945, upon which U. S. Patent 2, 5 ,75 was granted December 21, 1948, entitled Electronic Device and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

This invention relates generally to electronic apparatus and more particularly to improved sawtooth pulse'generators and electronic switching tube apparatus employed therewith.

The invention relates specifically to sawtooth pulse generating circuits utilizing novel nonpolarized low impedance electronic switches which are controllable by weak high frequency electricalkeying signals. Such apparatus has particular applications to cathode ray oscillographic and television cathode ray deflection systems. i

Conventional sawtooth pulse generators employing thermionic vacuum tubes require special wave damping circuits since the high resistance of the thermionic vacuum tubes employed as switching devices permit oscillatory currents to circulate throughout the circuit. Such oscillatory currents must be effectively suppressed to provide a substantially linear sawtooth output voltage waveform. Also such suppressor circuits and high resistance switching tubesdissipate considerable energy,"thereby requiring the use of relatively highpower apparatus for providing the required high voltage sawtooth deflecting pulses. The instant invention employes novel bidirectional thermionic tubes of the. orbital-beam typ'e. Due to'the relatively high operating ef- 'ficiency inherent in such secondary emission tubes, the switching resistance is relatively low, and the bidirectional characteristics of the device eliminate the necessity for oscillatory current suppressor circuits. .The measured efiiciency of the instant system is of the order of 5 times that of otherknown'systems, thereby permitting the use of apparatus having relatively low power ratings. Among the objects of the invention are to provide an improved methodof and'mean's for gencrating sawtooth pulse electrical currents. An-

other object is to-provide an improved sawtooth pulse generator employing a novel bidirectional electronic'switch. An additional object is to pro.- vide a novel pulse generator employing a bidi rectional orbital-beam electronic switching device. A' further object of the invention is to provide 'sawtooth"pulse generator having high operating eilicien cy characteristics. Another object of the invention ijs to provide a continuously operating sawtooth "generator utilizing a 'novel 10 Claims. (01. 313-104) bidirectional electronic switch which eliminates the necessity for oscillatory current suppressor networks.

Other objects of the-invention are to provide an improved high voltage unidirectional power source. Another object is to provide an improved deflection voltage generator for oscillographic apparatus. Anadditional object is to provide a novel bidirectional electronic switch. A further object is to provide a novel electronic bidirectional switch utilizing secondary electronic emission for obtaining high operating efliciency. A still further object is to provide an improved bidirectional electronic switch of orbital-beam type. Another object is to provide an improved bidirectional electronic switch of cycloidal beam type. The invention will be described theoretically and with reference to specific circuits and structure by reference to the accompanying drawing of which Figure 1 is a schematic circuit diagram for explaining the basic theory of the system, Figure 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a first embodiment of the invention adaptable, for example, to television kinescope deflection circuits, Figure 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of a second embodiment of the invention adapted to simultaneous operation for deflection of a television cathode ray beam and for supplying high unidirectional operating voltages for external circuits, Figure 4' is a graph illustrating voltage characteristics in the circuit, Figure 5 is a graph illustrating current characteristics in the ircuit, Figure 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of a third embodiment of the invention having similar applications to the circuit of Figure 3 and employing a novel bidirectional electronic switch, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional plan view of a first novel type of bidirectional electronic switch, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional plan view of a second novel bidirectional electronic switch of orbitalbeam type, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional plan view of a third novel bidirectional switch of cycloidal beam type. Similar reference characters are applied to similar elements throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the circuit of Fig. 1 showsthe basic. circuit of many conventional types of sawtooth pulse generators. The battery EB represents a power source (which in more detailed circuits may comprise a charged storage capacitor), S represents. an ideal bidirectional switch capable of high speed operation and designedito withstand high voltages in its open position and-having perfect..bidlrectional conduction in itsclosed position; L represents an indistributed capacitance of said yoke.

3 ductive load such, for example, as a deflecting yoke for a television kinescope tube, and C is the The circuit may be assumedto include no resistance.

When the switch Sis first closed at time n, the current (see Figure will increase linearly with time:

dz E dt 1. (1)

until at time tz the switch is opened. Then the current stored in the inductance L will be dis charged through the capacitance C in an oscillatory manner, the solution for the equilibrium equation being If the switch is closed at time is corresponding to the end of a half period of the self resonance of the inductor, the inductance returns its energy to the battery Ea with the current changing linearly with time until the instant ii, at which time current equilibrium occurs. Then the battery will deliver current in a linear manner to the inductance, and the cycle will be repeated.

It will be seen from the foregoing simple analysis that if there is no resistance in the circuit, and the switch system is perfectly bidirectional, no external energy would be required to provide a continuous sawtooth current (which would be wattless) and the purely reactive load would behave in the same manner as zero power factor loads behave with sinusoidal currents. This condition is true from the fact that deflection of a cathode ray electron beam, by periodic deflecting voltages or currents, requires no work, the reactance of the reflecting yoke acting merely as a fly-wheel for moving the cathode ray beam bidirectionally.

Figure 4 represents the voltage which would appear across the inductance L,

di (ERI 4 and it will be observed that the waveform of this voltage is substantially the derivative of the current waveform since the voltage is responsive to the rate of change of current through the inductance L. However, the voltage E1. is much greater than the input voltage EB, the value being Since the yoke comprising the inductance necessarily includes resistance, the current into the inductance must satisfy the following:

iR+LZ:=En a or in the exponential form,

wherein the sawtooth waveform is not linear.

However, resistance in the switch causes greater difliculty than resistance in the inductance load. With conventional grid-controlled electron tubes employed as electronic switches, the resistance is many times that of the resistance of the inductive yoke. Although impedance transformation may be employed between the electronic switch and the associated circuit. a transformation limit is encountered by the fact that the return time of the sawtooth wave is determined by the inductance and distributed capacity of the transformer (t3t2=1r\/LC). Another difliculty is met by thefact that conventional electron tubes are not bidirectional and do not actually conduct until the yoke voltage is discharged to a value below the tube anode supply potential. In the interim, the yoke circuit retains its oscillatory characteristics, thereby providing yoke voltages which are distorted, as indicated by the dashed-line portions of the graph of Fig. 4. The yoke current also is distorted as indicated by the dashed-line portio of the graph of Fig. 5.

Some prior systems have employed diode or triode thermionic tubes connected across the inductive load in order to suppress such undesired oscillatory currents, the suppressor tubes operating as switching devices during the time interval when the thermionic switching tube is not conducting due to reversed potentials on its anode. The instant invention, by employing a truly bidirectional electronic switching device, eliminates the necessity for such oscillatory current suppressor circuits since it approximates the operating characteristics of a perfect bidirectional switch.

Referring to Fig. 2, a bidirectional electronic switch 3 comprises an evacuated envelope containing a thermionic cathode K, a control electrode G1, a pair of secondary-electron-emissive anodes Pi and P2, and a pair of secondary-electron-collector electrodes G1 and G3, wherein collector electrode G1 is responsive to secondary electrons from anode P1, and collector electrode G: is responsive to secondary electrons from the anode P2.

A voltage source such as, for example, a battery 5 is connected through a high resistor I to charge a storage capacitor 9, one terminal of which is grounded. The charge on the storage capacitor 9 is indicated as Es. The ungrounded terminal of the storage capacitor 9 is connected to the first anode P1 and to the second collector electrode Go of the bidirectional electronic switch 3. The first collector electrode G2 and the second anode P2 are connected to one terminal ll of a reactive load l3 such as, for example, an inductive yoke for deflecting the beam of'a cathode ray oscillograph tube. The remaining terminal' l5 of the inductive load 13 is grounded. The distributed capacitance of the inductive load I3 is indicated by the capacitance C, shown in dash lines, connected through 'a suitable grid resistor in shunt with the inductive load. A bias battery I] is connected between the control electrode G1 and ground to provide fixed operating bias voltages for the control grid, cathode and the second anode. The cathode K is connected to an intermediate point on the bias battery i1. Input signals, having a waveform l9, are applied to the circuit through input terminals 2| connected between the control electrode G1 and ground.

In operation the supply voltage En charges the storage capacitor 9 and applies high potential to the first anode P1 and to second collector electrode Ga. Positive potential from the bias battery II also is applied to the second anode P: and the first collector electrode G2. The initial positive pulse portion of the input signal I! at the time t1 applied to the control electrode G1. causes primary electrons to pass from the cathode K to both of the secondary-electron-emissive onodes P1 and P2, which each emit relatively large numbers of secondary electrons.

Since the first anode P1 and the second collector electrode Ga are more positive than the second anode P2 and the first collector electrode G2, the secondary electrons emitted from the second anode P2 are collected by the second collector electrode Ga, and those emittedfrom the first anode P1 are returned thereto. This establishes an effective electrical connection between the anodes P1 and P2 causing current to build up in the inductive load l3 according to the law I:E/Lt (by assuming no losses in the circuit). This current continues to build up until the time t2, when a relatively high negative pulse is applied to the control electrode G1, thus interrupting the primary electrons passing from the cathodes to the anodes P1 and P2. Since no primary electrons reach the anodes, no secondary electrons are emitted therefrom, and the effective circuit between the anodes is opened.

Then the energy stored-up in the inductive load l3 will be discharged by its distributed capacitance C in an oscillatory fashion, as shown in the graph of Fig. 5, between the times t: and is. At the time is the control electrode G1 again becomes positive, and primary electrons from the cathode reach the anodes P1 and P2, and again produce secondary-electron-emission therefrom. At this time, the inductive load l3 discharges its energy through the effective connection between the anodes P1 and P2 to the storage capacitor 9, thus returning part of the energy to the power supply during the period between is and t1. At

the time t4, both anodes P1 and P2 are at the same potential. At this time, the sawtooth cycle commences to repeat, since the first anode P1 becomes more positive than the second anode P2.

Since the potential generated across the inductive load I3 is similar in waveform to that indicated in graph I9 (see Fig. 4) because the input control voltage applied to the input terminals 2| may be derived from a secondary winding coupled, to the inductive load l3, as shown and described hereinafter by reference to the circuits of Figs. 3 and 6, Thus, the circuit may be used as a keyed generator or as a continuous generator, depending upon the source of control pulses applied to the control electrode G1.

The bidirectional switching circuit thus described has ,low series impedance, bidirectional operating characteristics, and because of its high efficiency requires relatively low cathode emission. The secondary-electron-emissive anodes P1 and P2 may be coated with silver magnesium or other materials which emit secondary electrons of the order of 4 or more times the number of primary electrons impinging thereon. Such surfaces may be operated at high current densities for several thousand hours. Voltage source 5- should preferably be of the orderof200 volts in order to provide ample primary. electron emission. Although the anode-to-anode impedance is measurable, the efficiency of the system will be at least 5 times that obtainable when using conventional thermionic switching tubes, since no energy dissipative oscillatory current suppressors are required, and the switch series impedance is substantially reduced.

The circuit of Fig. 3 is similar to the circuit of Fig. 2 except that two conventional orbital beam tubes 23 and 33, each having a control between the cathode and the grounded terminal of the reactive load l3. Grid potential for the control electrodes G1 of the orbital beam tubes Ill previously described.

23 and 33 is provided by a second bias battery 21 connected between the cathodes of the tubes and one terminal of a votalge pickup winding 29 which is inductively coupled to the reactive load l3. The remaining terminal of the voltage pickup winding 29 is connected to the control elec-,

trodes G1 of the tubes. Thus, keying voltages of the type shown in thesolid line graph of Fig. 4 are applied to key the control electrodes G1 of the two single orbital beam tubes in'the manner described heretofore by reference to the circuit of Fig. 2. e

The circuit also may be employed to provide high unidirectional operating voltages for external circuits. A secondv voltage pickup winding 3|, inductively coupled to the reactive load l3, and having suitable voltage step-up characterplied to the load 43 simultaneously with the zip plication of sawtooth deflecting currents to-the inductive yoke l3.

A current meter 45 serially connected between the ungrounded terminal of the storage capacitor 9 and the anode and collector electrodes of the orbital beam tubes shows that the current load on the battery source 5 is reduced by a factor of 4 when both orbital beam tubes 23 and 33 Y are operated simultaneously, as compared with the operation of the circuit when either one of the tubes is operated alone. Thus, the bidirec-' tional operation of the circuit materially improves the circuit efficiency as well as the-linearity of the sawtooth deflecting currents applied to the reactive yoke l3. 1

The circuit of Figure 6 is similar to the circuit of Fig. 3 with the exception that applicant's,

novel bidirectional orbital beam tube is substituted for the pair of unidirectional orbital beam tubes 23, 33. The operation of the sawtooth voltage generator portion of the circuit isidentical to that described heretofore by reference to the circuit of Figure 2, except that the control-grid voltage pulses are derived from a voltage pickup winding 29 coupled to the reactive yoke l3, in the same manner as described by reference to the circuit of Figure 3. The high voltage pickup winding 3| also coupled to the reactive, yoke l3 provides rectified and filtered unidirectional potential for an external load 43 in themanner Figure 7 shows a first embodiment of a bidirectional orbital beam electronic tube which may be employed in the circuits of Figures 2 and 6. An evacuated envelope 46 contains a centrally-disposed cathode K which is surrounded by successive concentrically disposed control electrodes G1, semi-circular secondary-electroncollector electrodes G2 and G3 disposed on .dia-

7 metrically opposite sides of the cathode K, and diametrically disposed, semi-circular secondaryelectron-emissive anodes P1 and P2. Internal or external connections may be provided between the anode P1 and collector electrode G3 and be tween the anode P2 and the collector electrode G2. The operation of the device is as described heretofore by reference to the circuit of Figure 2. One disadvantage of the structure disclosed is that foreign matter emitted by the cathode K directly impinges upon the anodes P1 and P2, thereby causing contamination of the secondary-elec tron-emissive coatings thereon. Also the collector electrodes G2 and G3 are subjected to undesirable primary-electron emission.

The structure illustrated in Figure 8 is superior to that shown in Figure 7 since primary electrons, emitted by the cathode K and controlled by the surrounding control electrode G1, traverse orbital paths between the cathode and the anodes P1 and Pz'due to the lens action of electron deflecting means comprising a pair of reflector electrodes 41, 49, which are biased negatively with respect to the cathode potential. Primary electrons traversing the orbital paths to the two secondary-electron-emissive anodes P1 and P2 do not impinge upon the collector electrodes G2 and G3 located adjacent to the anodes P1 and P2, respectively.

Also foreign matter emitted by the cathode is shielded from the anodes by means of the reflector electrode 41 interposed therebetween. Secondary electrons emitted by the anodes P1 and P2, in response to primary electrons impinging thereon, are collected by the adjacently disposed collector electrodes G2 and Ge, respectively. Thus, the dual orbital paths provided by the unique reflector electrode construction shown in Figure 8 provide an exceedingly eflicient and stable bidirectional electronic device when the tube is employed in circuits such as those shown in Figures 2 and 6.

A third type of tube construction illustrated in Fig. 9 includes a centrally disposed cathode surrounded by a control grid G1 having electron deflecting or shielding portions and 53 for preventing direct emission from the cathode to the flat, edgewise-disposed anodes P1 and P2. A pair of flat reflector electrodes R1 and R2, disposed parallel to and on opposite sides of the anodes P1 and P2, cause the primary electrons emitted by the cathode K to traverse cycloidal paths to the secondary-electron-emissive anodes P1 and P2, both of which emit secondary electrons from both side faces. The secondary electrons emitted by the anodes P1 and P2 are collected by the collector electrodes G: and Ga, respectively adjacent thereto, while the primary electron emission is eflectively shielded from the collector electrodes by the cycloidal electron paths provided by the reflector electrodes. Appropriate operating potential polarities are indicated on the anode, collector, andreflector electrodes.

Thus, the invention described comprises several embodiments of novel sawtooth generator circuits including provisions for obtaining high unilateral operating potential for external circuits. Also three proposed types of bidirectional electronic switching tubes are disclosed and the operation thereof is explained by reference to their use in the disclosed circuits.

I claim as my invention:

1. A selectively bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at least a cathode, a control electrode, a pair of secondary-electron-emissive anodes and a pair of secondaryelectron-collector electrodes, each of said collector electrodes being responsive to secondary electrons derived substantially only from an adjacent one of said anodes, a direct connection from one of said anodes to the one of said collectors adjacent to the other of said anodes, and a direct connection from the other of said anodes to the other of said collectors adjacent said one of said anodes.

2. A selectively bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at' least a cathode, a control electrode, a pair of secondaryelectron-emissive anodes and a pair of secondary-electron-collector electrodes, each of said collector electrodes being responsive to second ary electrons derived substantially only from an adjacent one of said anodes, means connecting one of said anodes to the one of said collectors adjacent to the other of said anodes, means connecting the other of said anodes to the other of said collectors adjacent said one of said anodes, and electron deflecting means interposed on the axes between said cathode and said anodes to shield said anodes from direct contamination by volatile matter emitted by said cathode.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said collector electrodes are shielded by said electron deflecting means from primary electrons passing from said cathode to said anodes.

4. A bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at least a cathode. a control electrode, a pair of secondary-electronemissive anodes and a'pair of secondary-elec tron-collector electrodes, each of said collector electrodes being responsive to secondary electrons derived substantially only from an adjacent one of said anodes, terminal means for connecting one of said anodes to the one of said collectors adjacent to the other of said anodes, terminal means for connecting the other of said anodes to the other of said collectors adjacent said one of said anodes, and electron deflecting means interposed on the axes between said cathode and said anodes to shield said anodes from direct contamination by volatile matter emitted by said cathode.

5. A bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at least a cathode, a control electrode, a pair of hemi-cylindrical secondary-electron-emissive anodes and a pair of hemicylindrical secondary-electron-collector screen electrodes, each of said collector electrodes being responsive to secondary electrons derivedsubstantially only from an adjacent one of said anodes, said cathod, control electrode, collector electrodes and anodes being concentrically disposed in the order named and concentric ones of said pairs of said collector electrodes and anodes being disposed on diametrically opposite sides of said cathode.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein each of said collector electrodes is connected to the diametrically oppositely disposed one of said anodes.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein each of said collector electrodes is connected within said envelope to the diametrically oppositely disposed one of said anodes.

8. A bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at least a cathode, a control electrode surrounding said cathode, a pair of secondary-electron-emissive anodes and a pair of secondary-electron-collector electrodes, each necting one of said anodes to the one of said collectors adjacent to the other of said anodes, means connecting the other of said anodes to the other of said collectors adjacent said one of said anodes, dual arcuate electron deflecting means providing curved electron paths between said cathode and said anodes to shield said anodes from direct contamination by volatile matter emitted by said cathode, said collector electrodes being disposed outside the paths of said deflected primary electrons emitted by said cathode.

9. A bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at least a cathode, a control electrode surrounding said cathode, a pair of secondary-electron-emlssive anodes disposed in a common plane passing through said cathode and a pair of secondary-electron-collector electrodes, each of said collector electrodes being responsive to secondary electrons derived substantially only from an acUacent one of said anodes, means connecting one of said anodes to the one of said collectors adjacent to the other of said anodes, means connecting the other of said anodes to the other of said collectors adjacent said'one of said anodes, and a pair 01 fiat reflector means disposed on diametrically opposite sides of said cathode and parallel with said anodes for providing separate cycloidal electron paths between said cathode and said anodes for shielding said anodes from direct contamination by volatile matter emitted by said cathode, said collectorelectrodes being disposed outside the paths of said deflected primary electrons emitted by said cathode.

10. A bidirectional thermionic tube comprising an envelope enclosing at least a cathode, a

control electrode surrounding said cathode, a

pair of secondary-electron-emissive anodes, a pair of secondary-electron-collector electrodes, each of said collector electrodes being responsive to secondary electrons derived substantially only from an adjacent one of said anodes, means connecting oneof said anodes to the one of said collectors adjacent to the other of said anodes, means connecting the other of said anodes to the other of said collectors adjacent said one of said anodes, and a pair of flat reflector meansdisposed on diametrically opposite sides of said cathode for providing separate cycloidal electron paths between said cathode and said anodes for shielding said anodes from direct contamination by volatile matter emitted by said cathode, said collector electrodes being disposed outside the paths of said deflected primary electrons emitted by said cathode.

GEORGE CaSZIKLAI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,704,155 Thomas Mar. 5, 1929 2,146,607 Van Overbeek Feb. 7, 1939 2,151,783 Lopp et a1. Mar. 28, 1939 2,164,892 Banks July 4, 1939 2,173,267 Strutt et al Sept. 19, 1939 2,305,646 Thomas Dec. 22, 1942 2,402,188 Skellett June 18, 1946 

